I have been clean for about a year and a half now. I am not using any drugs, but I continue to have drug dreams where I am still using and its as if things are back to the old ways. When I wake up in the morning, I feel really weird like I did something wrong. Sometimes in my dreams I am searching searching searching for those drugs and the high, but I can never seem to get them.

My question is to anyone that has experienced this before. How long do these drug dreams last. Sometimes they make me want to go out and use again. Can anyone give me some advice???

Ah yea the old drug dreams where you can never get the stuff into you because of bizaar things happening around you. Yeah expect this to keep happening until you can really say your over it. I have been using 30 years, I gave up 6 months ago and still have those horrid dreams. It is your subconcience having a clear out and ridding your mind of those cravings, is the only way I can explain it to you. Just dont let them get to you, and above all dont feel guilty about it. You have done nothing wrong and each day is a step further to being clean, if you want that. Lets face it heroin is great, it kills your over active emotions, but when you stop using it your emotions have been dorment and return with a veangence. There is a saying "emotions denied are emotions deferred" and aint that the truth. So good luck and hang in there, its not easy and you need all the support you can muster.

Thanks for your thoughts. I think what you say is true. When I was using, I didn't really think of anything but getting my drugs. I supressed most of my true thoughts and feelings. I have never really been a depressed person, and using for 8 years the drugs just made it go away if it ever came. Now that I am clean, I can distinguish my thoughts and feelings in ways that I never knew how. It suck sometimes when I get all worked up and I think of the times when I was using, and all I would have to do is go cop and I would be fine. But for the most part, I really value the clear head and the normal thoughts that come. I feel like a normal person now.
Thanks for your help. : :

ive been an avid hard core meth junkie for about 11yrs.,im very proud to say october 18th 2008 was my last day of use!! although-time wise- im short, ive had several practice runs at sobriety. im certain this will be the last. what makes me so certain? why is this run any different than any others? my drug related dreams have shown me. with all my past attempts to get clean{the ones in which enough time lapsed that i would reach the stage where "dope dreams" take place}my dope dreams {nightmares} consisted of major uphoric moments. ide wake up angry,feeling cheated out of a rush or worse, a major overwhelming sense of lonliness/depression. in those dreams, i would re-enter the world that id grown so, sickly, accustomed to and would act out my normal daily activities. those activities revoved around "doing dope" and all the in betweens {stealing,lying cheating.... abusive relationships,loss of family and friends,jobs homes, cars, morales,values,self-respect etc....}! this time around, my dreams are so incredibly different,inspiring i suppose. yes they are still dreams of all the old scenerios however its how my character {me} responds or acts out in these dreams that makes this so amazing. heres my favorite in short form... im in a fast food drive through w/a friend {more like an old rival},non the less-as i approach the window the girl taking my order makes some kind of rude comment that sends me in an outrage! i jump out of the car {after a few choice words are exchanged} and intend on beating this b------ head in the ground. she's game and the fight is on {i, of course win}. somehow we re-locate in some office of sorts where i finalize her "butt kicking" by robbing her. i take a glass pipe {loaded to the gills w/ dope, a bag of dope, her cell phone, and purse. ahhh- talk about uphoric momments...{heres where it gets -beyond weird. im sitting w/ the pipe in my hand, her laying in a ball crying, w/ a few of my "good friends" applauding my executions. suddenly i toss the pipe{my buddies quickly take over},i gather up all her stuff and give it all back, including the pipe, and i leave. at this point im running-but not for the usual reason, which would be -the fear of cops. this time, im running alone {my friends were probably befriending her,since she was the one w/ dope}i was running away- from the dope itself-as quickly as possible and as far as possible. as i get out the doors, i find myself in a swarm of ,snohomish county pigs. im well recognized and am harassed. at which time i make the comment ,they better step off ,or im gonnna let my dog out{he too is well known and is by no means a "nice puppy". i realize the mistake ive just made, and know what's to come of it, so i quickly change my tone. i simply, apologize for the" misunderstanding" {only in a dream does this happen,haha} and explain "it just came out wrong", what i was trying to say was, my dog is right behind me- so please let me get him leashed and muzzled- for all our safety. it worked, they actually release me. i start running again, like a madwomen and while im tearing up the dirt im passing all these different stages or flashes of my life. each flash or stage showed me tidbits of what ive done, who ive done it w/, where it took place and so on...i continued running until the stages and flashes quit. the end. do you see the point, the amazing message? in past experiences i wouldve kept the b------ stuff and i certainly wouldnt've put the pipe down,my dog would've been shot and i would've been in jail. waking up to that scenerio wouldve given me an excuse to say "f--- this" or in the least, ruined my day{as my dreams are as lucid as it can get w/out being of true reality}. the true version has reached the pit of my being,which im conviced will continue on the right path from here out. i believe during the time we use we become seperated internally {our sub-conscience / our conscienceness our spirit from our bodies. we cannot truely trick ourselves into believing were ready for major overhauls or changes. only when we become absolutely true w/in, can we become successful in mind body and spirit. best of luck!!!!!!!!

I have also been clean about a year and a half and have been experiencing the same dreams. However in mine, i either have and stash the drugs or take them. I usually wake up in a panic thinking that i actually taken the drugs and will usually feel guilty all day. It also seems to bring about some serious cravings and the wrong mind set. I have managed to stay strong this long, but when i quit, i didn't really want to. I did to save a relationship. My life is a lot better, but i do still miss getting high. I am overall afraid that i might one day give in to these cravings,... but the guilt i feel when i wake up from those dreams is probably an accurate indication of how i would feel if i did really ever use again.

Hey. I have been using speed and hash for 10 years, but quit 8 months ago. I have the dreams - but i see a healts consultant once a week, she is an expert on rehab, and she told me that there is normally a 3 month on and off- with the dreams. You have some drug dreams ffor 3 months, then they go away for 3 months, and then they come back for 3 etc. etc. until they go away "for ever" (you might have occasional dreams for many years but the 3 month intervall is only temporarily)

The way the dreams are enterpreted is individual. For me i wake up totally scared that i have started using again - only to feel a great relief that it was only a dream.

So for me these dreams serve a great positive function: reminding me of the unhappy life i used to live, and the relief i feel when i wake up, clean and proper, and not using, it makes me feel great actually...

amen!!!! thats how i feel this morning after night after night of dreams like that.... i am two weeks clean from opiates.. pain killers.... the dreams are so real.... glad to know im not the only one having them.... i dont have the fear of turning back..... i am so happy i finaly freed myself from that prison i was in

Hey i have been addicted for the past 10 years but jst got rid of it 6 months ago i usually get dreams of searching for grugs of getting drugs but dont let them overcome me so just do the same these dreams will disturb you but dont let them overcome you and don't feel guilty one and a half year is a lot of time a day you spent without drugs takes you towards a clean life so dont worry just keep control on youself bst of luck. . .

I agree. It is much easier to retain what you have when you're not under the influence. It is much easier to 'not have it' because you dont want to lose your job, family etc now than to 'just not have it' when you're addicted still. I appreciate the things i have around me now much, much more. I also have been clean for nearly 2 years. I still have reocurring dreams all the time about me having the bag and the pipe in my hands and it seems like the dream goes forever. I have the bag of ice in my hands the whole time but something happens like the pipe breaks or i spill the bag in the grass or something of the likes... and this goes on ...i never get it. It is extremely exhausting and yes, it makes me feel strange for the rest of the day. Sometimes you think "well i'm not persuing it, not taking it. I'm doing the right thing, you know, and it wont bloody go away!" hehe. Hang in there... xxx Cat

i to used to be a junkie but i have been clean almost 2 1/2 years i haven't had a drug dream in a while i just woke up from one its was around 445ish when i woke up from it i had gotten to the point where i went from using in the dreams to not using because something would keep me from using until i woke up today was the first time in about 8 months i used but the thing is i snorted like the tinyist amount (when normally i shoot up) and then apparently the cops were comin so i threw it in the bushes and the dope man was the one writing the tickets he gave my best friend in the world one but when i asked if he was gonna give me one he just brushed me inside then when we were all running into the house he handed me some pills never really said what they are but they had a brown coating and were dimond shaped so i started chewing em thinking f--- it its already in my system but then i woke up cus i could feel the stuff inside the pill the powder grinding against my mouth only to wake up and realize it was remmron a sleeping pill that my pshyc used to give me in jail it was really weird as to say i have not had a using dream in around 8 months and one where i used even a little bit in about 11 so its pretty f'in weird. anyways the 3 month thing goes like this for 3 months u will have dope dreams then 3 months later they will start up again but not for a whole 3 months then like 6 months later you will have some usually every time your dope dreams flare up its some how a 3 month aniversarie of you using like its the end of august beginning of september i quit near the end of octobor. ne ways i just needed to get it out of me cus i have no one to talk to at like 545am anyways ive got to go thanks for letting me write out what ails me as my dreams are also as vivid as real life. and it really drains me to have a dream like this after so long.

Just want all of you to know how much better I feel now that i have read these posts. I have been clean for 2 years now and suddenly I have had at least 3-4 drug dreams in the last 2 months. I call them drug dreams because i have the drugs in my hand but and not using I just keep getting interupted while attempting to use. Mainly by family members then i wake up. I thought i was going crazy lately. Thanks again !

I had the same dream today and it really freaked me out. I was the most upset because when I woke up I found myself mad I didn't get to. Does this mean I'm ready to fall of the wagon? For the first time today I have had cravings. The most imprtant thing is i didn't. THANK GOD b/c I WANTED TO!!!! I don't know if i can handle too many of these to be honest with you. What kind of sick game is our minds playin with us???

I have been clean for about 6 months off herion of about a 8 year use I did have the dope dreams were I was trying to get hight but never could I was told that the drug can stay in your body for years and what happens is your brain releases neurotransmitters dopamine which causes you to get that feeling or dream of wanting to get hight even years after being clean good luck on every ones sobriety

I have been using for the past 13 years. I have been clean for the past two months and the using dreams have gone from trying to get high to getting high. The wierd thing is I wake up feeling high? Is that normal? I always feel like there's a battle going on inside of me, either I'm all gung-ho staying clean or thinking I'm not going to make it. In the big book Bill talks about not being able to see a life with or without alcohol. I felt the same way, except I didn't want a life where I couldn't use so I o.d.'ed. Now I'm clean and I don't know what "I" really want. I'm all screwed up.

i'm addicted to oxycontin & i just went to detox last week, got out on friday..so i have only been clean for 9 days. the past 3 nights i've had these "drug dreams" where i am trying to use & something interrupts me, or i actually do use & i wake up right after and i'm mad b/c it wasn't real. i feel like im going crazy, i'm not used to all my emotions that i hid for so long...or having a clear mind that can think a million different things at one time. i find it extremely overwhelming. but i am glad to know that other ppl have this same prob & it can be dealt with, b/c i've wanted to call my dealer all day 2day...but i know it isn't worth losing everything over. my brain is fighting itself...& i pray that the "good" side wins.

I wish you all the luck in the world..I hope you have a support system. Ive learned those thoughts of using really only last like 3-4 seconds...call a friend if you can. The drug dreams (using dreams) are normal but they can makek you feel crazy when you wake up. Remember the Evil drug will always try and take you back to their side.

I was an oxy/soma/xanax user for 19 months. I stopped 2 weeks ago cold turkey at home. My boyfriend finally left and he took his stash with him. Now that I know that it's out of the house I started having dreams last night of looking for pills, finding stashes of prescription bottles and pills all over and hiding them. I didn't use but I wanted to. I wanted to hide and do them alone. I woke up panicked and kept dreaming about them. I feel like I'm going crazy. It helps to know the dreams are normal. I think I need some professional help and to change who I'm hanging out with.

Last night was the first drug dream were i actually used the drugs. This is amazing profound to me because in 10 years, I have never used drugs in m dreams. This happened because my `beast` knows its over and knows the only way it can use is when I`M sleeping. I woke up the second I snorted the coke, so afraid I would n`t be able to go back asleep, since I was high. Oh and the guy that i usually use drugs with was in the dream. He had cut up his living room rug and was looking very f`d up. I am so grateful to be out of that living room, and not be high.

I was addicted to cocaine and have been clean 3 years now.. I still have the dreams about once a week where I actually use.. I wake up immediately after mostly confused wondering what just happened. I would never go back to that lifestyle but would love for this to just quit altogether.

I will be almost 2yrs clean. I was addicted to meth for 20yrs. I have had some CRAZY dreams were i wake up feeling so guilty from using in my dreams. Im glad to know that im not the only recovering addict who has drug dreams. I pray to God when i wake up that I dont give in to my cravings.

I started using while ironically enough, trying to get my brother away from it etc. I have been having incredibly vivid dreams. I wake up craving it. I moved away from home I actually left and moved to the other side of the world and fear if I go back where my brother and all my friends do it, that I'll be stuck and it wont end. I wake up so agitated that I haven't actually taken, then angry that I'd want to. I DONT think it means you're falling off the wagon. I think its a case of your mind testing your mettle. Every one is doing an absolutely amazing job! i encourage all of you to take note of the dream but remember, when you're feeling awful about it. it's just that, just a dream and it really only matters about the progress you're making in the waking hrs.

I used meth for 2 years (IV and pipe), after many years of recreational drug use. I have now been clean for a year and a half.

I lost the love of my life to this drug - I moved away to quit - we grew apart - now I cannot contact him. This breaks my heart as crazily I still love him so much. I have spent a year rebuilding my life, my ex left me in $14000 worth of debt - am back to nursing again now - but there are even more triggers in my workplace lol but so far I have stayed strong.

Sometimes in waking life scenes repeat in my head but I try to block them out. It's always with him and we are about to get high. And i am excited. I still want it.

In my dream last night we were together in his car and he had a shot which he put in his pocket for later. I asked if I could have one - and he held up a loaded needle ready to go and I straight away took my hair band off for a tourniquet and started looking for a vein.

Writing this now makes me want to cry. How can I still love my ex and crave this stuff? After everything he has done and everything it has taken from me.(he lied and stole from me, blamed the situation on me to his parents, kept or sold all my belongings, then cut off all contact)

I believe the dreams are my subconscious testing me. I will stay strong.

I started using while ironically enough, trying to get my brother away from it etc. I have been having incredibly vivid dreams. I wake up craving it. I moved away from home I actually left and moved to the other side of the world and fear if I go back where my brother and all my friends do it, that I'll be stuck and it wont end. I wake up so agitated that I haven't actually taken, then angry that I'd want to. I DONT think it means you're falling off the wagon. I think its a case of your mind testing your mettle. Every one is doing an absolutely amazing job! i encourage all of you to take note of the dream but remember, when you're feeling awful about it. it's just that, just a dream and it really only matters about the progress you're making in the waking hrs.